Candice Katz

Spotify Now Compatible with New Ford SYNC 3 Communications and Entertainment System

What’s a drive without Music? Yes, you’ll still get where you’re going, but will you truly enjoy the ride — we think not.

To give drivers a more complete music experience in the car, Spotify has extended its partnership with Ford, to enable Spotify users (Free and Premium) with SYNC 3-equipped cars to control Spotify from the driver’s seat with several new enhanced features for iOS and Android.

Spotify, one of the first apps to integrate with AppLink, is the only on-demand music service available on the all-new SYNC 3 communications and entertainment system, first launching on 2016 models of the Ford Escape and Fiesta this summer, and expanding to all Ford vehicles by the end of next year. This makes it easier than ever for Ford drivers to access Spotify and hit the road with a brand new interface designed for the car.

Just over a month ago we launched our exclusive music experience on PlayStation, making it easier than ever to soundtrack your gaming sessions with music. And today we’re thrilled to let you know that the partnership has already resulted in more than 5 million downloads since launch – making it the quickest launch adoption rate in PlayStation history.

But when it comes to big numbers, that’s not all. Since launch in March, you’ve streamed over 785 million tracks on your PlayStation 4 consoles. That’s more than 42 million hours of listening to your favourite tunes whilst playing your favourite games.

We’re also excited to let you know that PlayStation Music will be arriving in Costa Rica, Panama and Ecuador this summer – and rolling out to even more markets before the end of 2015.

Ever wonder what you’d be jammin’ out to if you were born during a different decade? Now you can find out!

Go back in time with our ‪‎Taste Rewind and explore the tunes you would have had on repeat throughout the 00s, 90s, 80s, 70s and 60s based on your musical taste. A throwback playlist for each decade will help you discover the sound of a different era, or re-live some questionable hairstyles :)

Today we’re thrilled to let you know that Spotify will be coming to Android Wear.

With Spotify on your wrist, you’ll be able to seamlessly browse and play music on the go – without ever having to pick up your phone. Navigate through Your Music and play the music you like, or Browse to discover something new.

Spotify will be rolling out gradually to Android Wear users throughout June.

4.20 is almost here and we were curious… what tracks light up our fans?

We discovered more than 40,000 4:20 themed playlists on Spotify globally, with Cypress Hill’s Hits From the Bong surfacing as the most streamed track. Bob Marley and The Wailers’ Sun Is Shining, Snoop Dogg’s Gin And Juice, Sublime’s Smoke Two Joints, The Notorious B.I.G.’s Juicy, Afroman’s sing-a-long style track Because I Got High, are all popular tracks with an unexpected addition: UB40’s Red Red Wine.

Tune in here for most streamed songs from all your smoke-heavy playlists:

Artists Willie Nelson, Peter Tosh and Method Man have curated special playlists filled with their favorite 4:20 inspired tracks, including Willie’s new single It’s All Going to Pot that will be released on 4/20. Check ’em out here!

Today, Spotify and Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (SNEI) will launch an exclusive music experience, making it easier than ever for gamers to enjoy their favourite tracks whilst playing their favourite games. That’s right, the best in music is playing co-op with the best in gaming. So whether you’re diving off Parisian rooftops, battling the evil of Crota or playing Barcelona at the Camp Nou, you’re in charge of the soundtrack.

Soundtrack your game

With background listening on PlayStation®4 (PS4™) system, you can soundtrack your gaming sessions with your favourite tracks. You might die a few times at the hands (or claws) of memorably terrifying monsters in the critically-acclaimed action RPG Bloodborne™, so why not do it to the music of your choice? Upbeat pop, thumping hip-hop, soothing classical…with over 30 million tracks, we’ve got you covered either way.

On-demand music for everyone

Enjoy all of your favourite tunes on-demand. Pick one of your favourites from Your Music or Browse to find the perfect playlist for every mood and moment. We’ve even got a set of new gaming playlists for you.

No need to pause

Spotify Connect lets you skip tracks or turn up the music using your mobile device or tablet, without ever having to interrupt your gaming experience.

We know music has always been a big part of gaming and are excited to take the experience to a whole new level. With today’s launch, we’re bringing back that magic of gaming with music – all in a beautifully designed and smooth experience that looks great on your big screen. We have worked closely with PlayStation® to build an entirely new music experience which doesn’t just sound awesome, but also looks great on your TV and handles smoothly using the DualShock controller.

Spotify on PlayStation Music will roll out to PS3™ and PS4™ today and will also be available on Xperia™ smartphones and tablets.

We are so excited to be returning to Austin for our 4th year to celebrate SXSW! From March 15 – 20, The Spotify House will be your go-to venue to unwind, discover the best new artists and take part in unique experiences.

Our 2015 line-up boasts 30+ must-see-acts including breakout talent Marian Hill, Conrad, Cam and many more. Everyday, we’ll have live performances on two stages, so come ready to rock. You can check out the full daily line-up here. We’ll also be serving up the best local Austin eats, curated by our friends at SUPPER.

To kick start each day, The Spotify House will be hosting a unique SoulCycle pop-up experience. Each morning, live DJ sets and the best fitness instructors in the world will take Spotify fans on the ride of their lives, set to a once in a lifetime musical experience. SoulCycle fans will be riding to some of the world’s best DJ’s, including Ryan Hemsworth and Hudson Mohawke throughout the week. Check out the daily schedule here to sign up for a ride.

We’ve also teamed up with Bose, Squarespace and truth to bring to life one-of-a-kind experiences for guests.

Bose: Spotify is excited to launch Unveiled in partnership with Bose at this year’s SXSW. Unveiled provides music fans with a once in a lifetime experience of seeing their favorite artists perform their newest or soon-to-be-released album live, for the first time. Inaugural artists include James Bay, MisterWives and other special guests. Music fans visiting The Spotify House will also experience the power of Spotify through Bose® SoundTouch™ Wi-Fi® music systems.

Squarespace: Each day at The Spotify House, Austin-based Squarespace visual artists explore the intersection between music and art, creating new pieces inspired by the music of the day.

truth Truck is making its way to Austin to inspire people to #FinishIt. truth Tour Riders will keep visitors entertained with special guest DJs scratching from the iconic orange truck and with #LeftSwipeDat themed listening booths.

For additional information about The Spotify House, RSVP now and follow us on our dedicated SXSW Spotify handle @sxspotify to stay up to date on the latest news! And, be sure to follow us on Vine, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat for more information about our SXSW plans this year.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and we were curious — how do our 60 million users use playlists to prepare for the big day of love?

With nearly 700k ‘Valentine’s’ playlists, 28 million ‘love’ playlists and nearly 2.5 million ‘sex’ playlists, we uncovered that Donna Lewis’ I Love You Always Forever is the top Valentine’s Day song in the world.

Check out these Top 10 Love Songs from “Valentine’s” playlists:

When it comes to songs that speak the universal language of love, John Legend’s All of Me comes in as the globe’s top love song. Explore this playlist of the top 10 Songs from “Love” playlists:

As for setting the mood, “sex” playlists are created by 56% male vs. 44% females and Intro by The xx ranks in as the top sex song. Hit play here to discover the top 10 songs from “Sex” playlists:

Fun fact: Most Valentine’s Day playlists on Spotify were created by men – 63% in fact!

Looking for some musical inspiration this V-Day? Look no further than our “Sweet Spot” playlist generator, which will take you and your lover on a journey of discovery between your favorite musical artists. Simply choose your favorite artist and select the favorite artist of your special someone to reveal how many degrees of musical separation exist between the two of you. Sweet Spot will then generate a playlist for you to share. Find it at Spotify-Valentines.com.

One of music’s biggest nights, the 57th annual Grammy Awards, will take place this Sunday February 8th. To celebrate, we’ve looked at streams as a way to predict who will take home a GRAMMY in four of the night’s top categories: Album Of The Year, Record of The Year, Song of The Year and Best New Artist.

To predict the winners, we compiled global data on the top streamed songs, albums and artists in each of the categories. Additionally, we analyzed the listening habits of our 60 million users across the world to look at the most viral songs, albums, and artists in those categories to predict the possible “dark horses.”

Sia’s Chandelier was the most streamed song globally in the Record and Song Of The Year categories, additionally ranking most viral in the Record Of The Year category. Hozier’s Take Me To Church is the most viral song in the Song Of The Year category. For Album Of The Year, Ed Sheeran’s X was the most streamed album, with Pharrell Williams’ G I R L being the most viral. In the Best New Artist category, Ed Sheeran was the most streamed artist and Bastille was the most viral* artist.

Most Streamed Record of the Year

Chandelier – Sia

Stay With Me – Sam Smith

Fancy – Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift**

Most Streamed Album of the Year

Ed Sheeran – X

Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour

Pharrell Williams – G I R L

Beyoncé – Beyoncé

Beck – Morning Phase

Most Streamed Song of the Year

Chandelier – Sia

Stay With Me – Sam Smith

All About That Bass – Meghan Trainor

Take Me To Church – Hozier

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift**

Best New Artist

Sam Smith

Iggy Azalea

Bastille

HAIM

Brandy Clark

Dark Horse Winner Predictions, Based on Virality*

Record of the Year

Sia – Chandelier

Album of the Year

Pharrell Williams – G I R L

Song of the Year

Hozier – Take Me to Church

Best New Artist

Bastille

Who do you think will win? Tune in this weekend for the Award Show and listen to nominated GRAMMYs artists here!